Begoniaceae is a family of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s with two genera and about 2040 species occurring in the subtropics and tropics of both the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

and

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

. All but one of the species are in the genus ''

Begonia ''Begonia'' is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae. The genus contains more than 2,000 different plant species. The Begonias are native to moist subtropical and tropical climates. Some species are commonly grown ind ...

''. There have been many recent discoveries of species in the genus ''Begonia'', such as ''Begonia truncatifolia'' which is endemic to San Vincente, Palawan. ''B. truncatifolia'' is smaller in size than other species of the genus ''Begonia'' and this new species is proposed Critically Endangered by standards set by the IUCN. The only other genus in the family, ''

Hillebrandia ''Hillebrandia sandwicensis'' is a species of a herbaceous perennial flowering plant native to some of the Hawaiian Islands. Common names include akaakaawa and pua maka nui. The genus name honors the German physician William Hillebrand. Descrip ...

'', is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

and has a single species. Phylogenetic work supports ''Hillebrandia'' as the sister taxon to the rest of the family. The genus ''Symbegonia'' was reduced to a section of ''Begonia'' in 2003, as molecular phylogenies had shown it to be derived from within that genus. Members of the genus ''

'' are well-known and popular

houseplant A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in places like residences and offices, mainly for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are us ...

s. Begonia flowers in bloom.jpg, ''

'' flowers File:秋海棠 - 溪頭自然教育園區 Begonia - Xitou Nature Education Area, Taiwan 20220413200914 01.jpg, Begonia leaves are very varied in shape and varigation. File:秋海棠 - 溪頭自然教育園區 Begonia - Xitou Nature Education Area, Taiwan 20220413200002 15.jpg, The plants of many species of Begonia are covered with fine hairs. File:秋海棠 - 溪頭自然教育園區 Begonia - Xitou Nature Education Area, Taiwan 20220413202630.jpg, The back of the leaves is one of the key points to appreciate Begonia. File:秋海棠 Begonia - Botanical Garden of National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan 20220422160737 04.jpg, The back of the leaves is one of the key points to appreciate Begonia. Begonia pseudolubbersii.jpg, ''

Begonia pseudolubbersii ''Begonia'' is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae. The genus contains more than 2,000 different plant species. The Begonias are native to moist subtropical and tropical climates. Some species are commonly grown ind ...

Characteristics

Begonias, particularly double begonias, have similarities to

roses A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...

and have been called "Roseform Roses" or simply referred to as a type of rose.

References

External links

* Rosid families {{Cucurbitales-stub

Characteristics

References

Further reading

External links